Abstract
In this chapter, by examining narratives on making liquor, we will explain how modern myth-like stories contribute to the branding strategies of liquor companies and their products. We focus on “whisky,” which has been drunk in Japan since the Meiji era, and deal with the “myths” created by two large whisky companies about the birth of Japanese whisky. To evaluate these company “myths,” we first introduce modern Japanese sake brewage and secondly give a brief overview of whisky making. We also introduce stories relating to Scotch whisky for reference. After providing historical evidence regarding the birth of Japanese whisky, we introduce how two large Japanese whisky companies created narratives of the aforementioned history. We try to interpret these two narratives according to two perspectives: one is mythological metaphor and another is globalism. From the perspective of mythological metaphor, we find that these stories can be classified as hero myths. With respect to globalism, these narratives can be understood as realizations of “authenticity” and “localization.” Finally, we consider the relationship between the character of the corporation and its narratives.
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Notes
- 1.
Eliade (1963) pp. 18–19. The two other functions are (4) “that by knowing the myth one knows the ‘origin’ of things and hence can control and manipulate them at will…” and (5) “…that in one way or another one ‘lives’ the myth, in the sense that one is seized by the scared, exalting power of the events recollected or re-enacted.”
- 2.
We have a hint of this definition from Abbott (2008).
- 3.
- 4.
MAFF (2017) pp.26–29
- 5.
Yoshida (2013) pp.70–73
- 6.
Usaburo Sato (Aramasa brewery where the Kyōkai yeast “k-6” is separated) was one of such persons. He graduated from the department of brewage, Osaka Higher Technical School. He and Masakata Taketsuru (will be mentioned in Sect.10.3) were excellent students in the same year and were called “Taketsuru from western (Japan) and Usaburo from eastern (Japan) (are distinct).”
- 7.
Yoshida (2013) pp.84–97
- 8.
NHK TV program “#139, Professional; shigoto no ryūgi (Professionals; their style of work) (in Japanese)” on air at March 9, 2010
- 9.
Glionna (2009) is one of them.
- 10.
Table 4-(1) and Table 6 of NTA (2017b).
- 11.
SWA (2017) p.6
- 12.
Buxton and Hughes (2014) provide a scientific analysis of whisky.
- 13.
For a study of visitor tours of whisky distilleries , see Sumihara (2007).
- 14.
In September 2002 when the author visited there
- 15.
A malt whisky distillery for blending whisky that is surrounded by a good natural environment, visited by the author in 2007, sends all their distilling whisky to the warehouse in Glasgow. When the author asked a guide of the distillery the reason for this, he answered “It is a myth that the natural environment greatly affects the whisky. The effect of cask woods is considerably greater.”
- 16.
- 17.
Annual production capacity of malt distilleries in Japan is estimated as follows: 2000 KLPA for Yoichi, 5000 KLPA for Miyagikyo, 7000 KLPA for Yamazaki, 4000 KLPA for Hakushu, and 2000 KLPA for Fuji Gotemba. Ronde (2017) reported that the largest malt distillery in Scotland is the Glenfiddich distillery, which has a capacity of 13,700 KLPA. The median of annual production capacity of working malt distilleries (116 distilleries) in Scotland is 2800 KLPA. Only 25 distilleries have capacity of over 5000 KLPA.
- 18.
In documents by Taketsuru , he refers to the Longmorn distillery as the Glenlivet distillery because the Longmorn distillery was called Longmorn-Glenlivet distillery when Taketsuru stayed in Scotland .
- 19.
Now called Akadama Sweet Wine
- 20.
See Fig 10.3.
- 21.
Quoted expressions below come from the web page of the Yamazaki Distillery that shows a brief summary of the exhibition panels.
(http://www.suntory.co.jp/factory/yamazaki/guide/facilities/80aniv/index.html. Accessed 25 January 2010.)
- 22.
Hitomi Yamaguchi (1926–1995) was a novelist and ex-employee in the advertising department of Kotobuki-ya (Suntory). In 1963, while he was an employee of the company, he won the 48th Naoki prize (a literary award).
- 23.
Translated by the author
- 24.
Translated by the author
- 25.
“Taketsuru no Seishin (The spirit of Taketsuru )” (in Japanese),
http://www.nikka.com/world/sticking/Taketsuru/history/spirit/index3.html. Accessed 25 January 2010 (translated by the author)
- 26.
The web page (https://www.nikka.com/80th/story/rin/page4.html. Accessed 19 January 2018) is a reproduction of Takubo (2004) (translated by the author).
- 27.
For discussion on the structure of hero’s stories as part of a hero myth, see Chap. V of Campbell (1988), for instance.
- 28.
Suntory’s second master blender was Keizo Saji, who is the second son of Shinjiro Torii and was the second president of Suntory Ltd. Its third master blender is Singo Torii, who is a grandson of Shinjiro and the Vice Chairman of Suntory Holdings Ltd. The position of master blender has been passed down from father to son.
- 29.
Nown (1996) p.70
- 30.
Translated by the author
- 31.
“then” means days around 1930–1931. (This footnote is annotated by the author.)
- 32.
Translated by the author
- 33.
Suntory has revived “highball (whisky and soda)” as a drinking style of whisky for young generations. As a result of the “Kakubin (Square Bottle) highball” campaign, which has run since 2008, the shipping volume of Kakubin has increased almost twofold in 2 years. (Nikkei Sangyō Shimbun (The Nikkei Business Daily ) 2009, March 18, p.18 and 2010, July 5, p.16.)
- 34.
This reflects Suntory’s corporate mission of “In Harmony with People and Nature (Follow Your Nature).”
- 35.
A blind tasting contest of French and the US wines, Chardonnay (white) and Cabernet Sauvignon (red), which was held in 1976. Contrary to expectations that French wine will win by a big margin, we had the result that the US wine win both white and red. It has been believed that this result had a significant impact worldwide.
- 36.
A sushi roll is opposite to traditional ones in that the filling is covered by two layers, seaweed inside and vinegared rice on the outside.
- 37.
The California roll was invented by a sushi chef at the Tokyo Kaikan restaurant in Los Angeles in the 1960s. (Issenberg 2007: 89–91).
- 38.
Translated by the author. Their malt whisky was supplied to the Daikoku Wine Company that released their whisky as Ocean Whisky. (San-raku Co., Sha-shi Hensan-sitsu 1986: 272).
- 39.
Although most blended whiskies use their own malt whiskies for the key malt, they also use malt whiskies from other distilleries for dressing.
- 40.
Eliade (1963) p.8.
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Takeuchi, Y. (2019). One History, Two Narratives: The Company Myths of Japanese Whisky Companies. In: Nakamaki, H., Hioki, K., Sumihara, N., Mitsui, I. (eds) Enterprise as a Carrier of Culture. Translational Systems Sciences, vol 16. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7193-6_10
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